Remote control apparatus



May 13, 1947- RsTEvl-:NSON ET AL REMOTE CONTROL APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 5, 1942 INVENTORS /o/ze z 617e vf/zs of@ W/exaf/z der 'fff ATTORNEYS l Patented May 13, 1947 REMOTE CONTROL APPARATUS Robert Stevenson, Barrington, and Alexander W. Keema, Providence, R. I., assignors to Merit Engineering, Inc., a corporation of Rhode Island Original application October 5, 1942, Serial No. 460,794, now Patent No. 2,344,473, dated March Divided and this application January 14, 1944, Serial No. 518,288

(Cl. (iO-54.5)

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a remote control apparatus of the type in which the transmission of movement from one actuating unit to another actuated unit is by liquid or hydraulic means and is a division of our co-pending application Serial No. 460,794, led October 5, i942J which has now issued in Patent No. 2,344,473.

Although the transmission in a remote control apparatus has been heretofore done by hydraulic means in which a piston moves the liquid or is moved by the liquid at the remote location it is quite usual to actuate the piston and have the pistons in turn actuate some mechanical link and lever arrangement for the transmission or conversion of power to or from the actuating piston. Such linkages and leverages become more or less easily worn and they are materially retarded by friction.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved means for actuating the piston in the actuating unit and an improved means actuated by the piston in the actuated unit.

Another objectof this invention is to provide a control which will be relatively free from friction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanical operating part acting in a liquid which will act as a lubricant for the movement of these parts one upon the other.

Another object of this invention is to provide the transmission of rotary movement to longitudinal movement through a screw action and vice versa whereby a positive conversion of movement from one direction to the other may be provided.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic means for maintaining liquid in a hydraulic transmission from one unit to the other always full to capacity.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means to control the reacting hydraulic pressure which acts upon the threaded member through which movement is applied to the actuating piston.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction having a theoretically unlimited angular rotation.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointedY out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the actuating unit and actuated unit and fragmentally showing these units connected together;

Fig. 2 is a similar section showing upon a largn er scale a different position of the actuating unit;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the actuating screw or threaded shaft;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the collar in which the valve is mounted;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View showing this collar and valve assembly with the removable valve seat which is mounted in the piston.

In proceeding with this invention we have provided two units having a conduit connecting them. Each unit contains a chamber communieating with the conduit connecting the units and pistons provided in the chambers, so that when one piston is moved to diminish the volume of liquid in the chamber the liquid is forced into the chamber in the other unit and forces the piston therein in a direction so that this unit increases its amount of iiuid as the piston moves to provide for it. The piston in the actuating unit is moved by a shaft having screw threads thereon While a threaded shaft in engagement with the piston in the actuated unit is rotated in response to axial movement of the piston in this actuated unit.

With reference to the drawings It] designates the actuating unit and I I the actuated unit while I2 designates a conduit which may be of any desired length or shape which will transmit liquid from one unit to the other and which acts as the sole means of connecting the units together. The actuating unit I@ comprises a body I4 of generally cylindrical shape which has a cyn lindrical bore I5 extending inwardly from one end in which a piston I6 is slidably mounted. The bore of the body is reduced in diameter as at I'I so as to provide an abutment shoulder IB between the bores I5 and I'I while the bore formed from the opposite end is of one size at i8 subsaiially the same size as bore I5 and larger as a The piston l5 in the bore E5 has packing or piston rings 2I to prevent the passage of iiuid along its surface which contacts with the bore I5. This piston is reduced as at 22 to slide in the bore Il While this extending tubular` portion 22 is internally threaded as at 23 to engage the thread of the shaftwZd which is rotatably mounted by means of a ball bearing 25 in the body I4, which ts snugly in the bore 26] of this body portion. A bearing 2B is also located in the bore 20 of the body and serves as a sliding mounting for the nut 21 which has threaded engagement with the threads of the shaft 2li. This bearing 26 is locked in place by a pin 28. A closure cap 29 for the end 0f the body is secured in place by mounting bolts 3E! to close one end of the bore of the unit IEl. This cap contains in a suitable recess therein a sealing unit 3l to prevent the escape of fluid which is contained in the unit. An operating handle 32 is secured in place by nut 32 on the end of the shaft 24. Spring 33 is under compression and acts between the nut 21 and a washer 34 which abuts against the end of piston collar 22 and tends to force these two threaded parts against which it presses in opposite directions thus providing a balanced action on the shaft.

An end wall 35 is secured to the body by bolts 36 to close the bore I5. This end wall is provided with an opening 31 to which the conduit I2 is detachably connected. Liquid is located in the chamber 38 to be forced by the piston I through the conduit I2.

A cylindrical shell @il surrounds the body IQ and telescopes the portion 4I at one end and the portion t2 at the other end of the body which are larger than the intermediate portions of the body so as to provide an annular chamber 43 in the space about the body Iii. The body is provided with an axially extending conduit ed. which communicates with chamber i3 and the radially extending conduit i5 located in the flanged portion 4S of the body and to some convenient reservoir of supply which will provide such a head as to cause liquid to flow into and maintain the chamber i3 full of liquid.

The piston I5 has a central internally threaded bore 48 into which a unit designated generally 49 and shown in Fig. '1 is threaded. This unit comprises a cylindrical portion 58 having a flange 5I and an end wall 52 which is provided with a valve seat 53 in which there is located a valve 5d having a tapered sealing surface 55 to engage with the seat and enclose the same. On the end of this valve an abutment and guide collar 56 is secured by means of a pin extending through opening 51 in the collar and through the end of the valve while a spring 53 abuts the collar 58 and forces the valve to its seat. The collar 55 slidably fits the portion 5! and extends a substantial distance rearwardly of the unit 58 so that when the piston is moved to completely retracted position this collar 56 will engage the end of the shaft 24 and force the valve from its seat to the dotted line position shown in Fig. '1, the valve being shown in closed position and as spaced from the shaft 2li in Fig. 2. Grooves 58 are provided in the collar 56 to provide communication with the interior of unit fig so that liquid in the chamber 43 may pass through the radial conduit GE in the body and 68 in the piston to provide a communication between the supply reservoir 43 and its reservoir or chamber 38 when the piston is in retracted position. Thus, should there be any leakage in the system the reservoir would supply that liquid which may have escaped at each retraction of the piston.

The actuated unit designated generally II is lgenerally similar to the actuating unit IQ. It comprises a body 65 having a cylindrical bore 86 extending from one end which is reduced as at E1 and then again enlarged as at 68 and further enlarged at 69. The piston 18 slides in the bore S6 with its packing or piston rings 1I to prevent passage of liquid along between the bore and the piston. On one side of the piston is a chamber 12 which communicates with a conduit I2. The

piston is tubular having a cavity 13 which is closed by a plug 14 instead of a valve as shown in connection with the other actuating unit. The reduced portion of this piston 15 is internally threaded as at 18 so as to have a threaded engagement with the shaft 11 which carries thread 18, while this portion is keyed as at 19 to slide along the bore 61 in the body E5. Shaft 11 is rotatably mounted in the body by means of the ball bearing unit 80 while leakage is prevented by a sealing means 8l which is housed in the closure cap 82 for the end of the body 65 which is held in place by the mounting bolts 83. A lever 84 is Xed to the shaft 11 so that as this shaft rotates this lever will swing to do such work as is required of it. A spring 85 acts against an abutment washer 85 and also against an abutment washer 81 Which engages one end of the piston so as to urge the piston axially in a direction to decrease the volume of liquid in the chamber 12. The pitch of the plural threads is such that an axial thrust of the piston will cause rotation of the shaft. An end Wall 88 is secured by bolts 88' to close one end of the body 65 and is provided with an opening 89 for threadingly connecting conduit I2 to the unit.

A shell Si) is positioned about the body 65 and provides an annular chamber 9| which may contain fluid of a lubricating nature and which may connect through conduit 92 with the space 93 in which the spring *86 is located. By reason of this arrangement an expansion chamber is formed for any liquid which may be utilized to lubricate the shaft upon retraction of the piston from the position shown in Fig. 1.

The spring 88 Will at all times even when under compression exert less force upon piston 15 than will the spring 33 exert upon piston I6. Accordingly the lever 84 will remain in position after it has been actuated to a certain predetermined point, The pitch of the screws or threads on shafts 11 and 2d will be the same so that a corre sponding movement of these shafts will be caused. Spring 33 although acting in one direction on the piston tending to move the shaft 24 is compensated for by the same action of this spring upon nut 21 in the opposite direction, which nut also serves to maintain the spring at constant strength and therefore at uniform pressure. Thus, any thrust which is caused by this spring tending to move the shaft 24 in one direction is neutralized by a thrust in the opposite direction of nut 21 tending to turn the shaft in the opposite direction and therefore by this arrangement the shaft is in balanced relation and there is no tendency to rotate the shaft in either direction from the spring 33. Further, any pressure of the liquid on piston I8 because of this spring 33 will not rotate the shaft 24.

In operation, assuming the chamber 38 and chamber 12 and the conduit connecting them are full of liquid and the lever 32 has been moved sufciently so that the valve 5l! is closed, at which point the handle 32 and the lever 84 are both located in the same angular position of rotation relative to the axis of the shafts 24 and 11, then any further movement of the lever 32 which will force the piston I to decrease the size of the chamber 3S will cause the iiuid to pass through the conduit I2 and correspondingly increase the size of the chamber 12 which is of the same diameter by causing the piston 18 to be axially moved therein which in turn will cause a rotation of the shaft 11 and correspondingly move lever 84 to cause it to angularly move handle 32 at some point remote from the location of the unit i0. 'Ihe length of the chamber 38 and 'l2 may be such as to cause one or more complete revolutions of the lever 84. If, however, it is desired to retard or move the lever 84 in the opposite direction it is merely necessary to move the hand lever 32 in such opposite direction which will withdraw the piston i6 in the unit l0 and spring 855 will be of such strength as to force the piston l to move the fluid out of the chamber 12 back into the chamber 38 through conduit I2 and will correspondingly turn the shaft 'l1 to retard the lever 94. After complete retraction of the lever 8A through movement of the piston 'l2 to the end of its stroke a further movement of the piston l by means of the handle 32 is permitted so that the valve 54 may be opened and any liquid which may have escaped from the system will be replenished automatically by reason of a sufficient head on the supply liquid which will force it into the actuating part of the system. A drain may be provided at plug 95 if desired for the escape of any liquid into the chamber 9|.

We claim:

1. In a remote control apparatus an actuating unit comprising a casing, a piston movable in said casing, a rotatable shaft, and threaded means between said shaft and piston to cause axial movement of the piston upon rotary movement of the shaft, a nut on said shaft also axially movable upon rotation of said shaft, and a spring under compression abutting said nut and piston to exert pressure in opposite directions thereon, an actuated unit comprising a casing, a conduit connecting the casing of said units, a piston in the last said casing, a spring urging said piston in a direction to reduce the volume of liquid in the actuated unit, a shaft in said casing, threaded means between said shaft and piston of a pitch to cause rotation of the shaft upon axial movement of the piston, actuating fluid in the casings of each unit and in said conduit whereby movement of Ione piston will be transferred to the other piston through said liquid and thence to said shaft of the actuated unit, the spring of the actuated unit exerting a pressure less than the spring in the actuating unit.

2. In a remote control apparatus an actuating unit comprising a casing containing actuating liquid, a piston movable in said casing for controlling said liquid, a rotatable shaft, and threaded means between said shaft and piston to cause axial movement of the piston upon rotary movement of the shaft, an abutment movable along said threaded means, resilient means engaging said abutment and said piston for exerting opposite equal forces on said threads tending to rotate said shaft in opposite directions, an actuated unit comprising a casing, aconduit connecting the casing of said units, a piston in the last said casing, a shaft in said casing, a spring surrounding said shaft urging said piston in a direction to reduce the volume of liquid in the actuated unit, threaded means between said shaft and piston of a pitch to cause rotation of the shaft upon axial movement of the piston, actuating fluid in the casings of each unit and in said conduit whereby movement of one piston will be transferred to the other piston through said liquid and thence to said shaft of the actuated unit, said resilient means preventing movement of the piston along the shaft in the actuating unit when under pressure of said fluid.

3. In a remote control apparatus, an actuating unit comprising a casing containing actuating liquid, a piston movable in said casing for controlling said liquid, a rotatable shaft, and -threaded means between said shaft and piston to cause axial movement of the piston upon rotary movement of the shaft, an actuated unit comprising a casing, a conduit connecting the casing of said units, a piston in the last said casing, a spring urging said piston in a direction to reduce the volume of liquid in the actuated unit, a shaft in said casing, threaded means between said shaft and piston of a pitch to cause rotation of the shaft upon axial movement of the piston, actuating fluid in the casings of each unit and in said conduit whereby movement of one piston will be transferred to the other piston through said liquid and thence to said shaft of the actuated unit, and means acting against one end of the piston in the actuating unit for preventing movement of the piston along the shaft when the opposite end of said piston is under pressure of said fluid.

4. In a remote control apapratus, an actuating unit comprising a casing containing actuating liquid, a piston movable in said casing for controlling said liquid, a rotatable shaft, and threaded means between said shaft and piston to cause axial movement of the piston upon rotary movement of the shaft, an actuated unit comprising a casing, a conduit connecting the casings of said units, a piston in the last said casing, a shaft in said casing, a spring surrounding said shaft urging said piston in al direction to reduce the volume of liquid in the actuated unit, threaded means between said shaft and piston of a pitch to cause rotation of the shaft upon axial movement of the piston, actuating fluid in the casings of each unit and in said conduit whereby movement of one piston will be transferred to the other piston through said liquid and thence to said shaft `of the actuated unit, and means acting against one end of the piston in the actuating unit for preventing movement of the piston along the shaft when the opposite end of said piston is under pressure of said fluid.

ROBERT STEVENSON. ALEXANDER W. KEEMA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,828,965 'Fuller Oct. 27, 1931 1,932,916 Taylor oct. 31, 1933 2,192,175 Ballard Mar. 5, 1940 2,204,649 Barnhart June 18, 1940 2,264,675 Nardone Dec. 2, 1941 2,305,302 Mazur Dec. 15, 1942 

